The 2024 Intensive Conference: How Mental Health Can Affect Legal Professionals
Desi Vlahos and Dr. Owen Bradfield delve into critical issues across professions, drawing from recent reports like the IBA Mental Wellbeing in the Legal Profession 2021. Dr. Bradfield, with dual insights from medicine and law, along with his PhD research, will highlight shared challenges. They will explore organisational and personal factors affecting wellbeing, advocating for sustainable practices rooted in human rights. Emphasising the importance of managing risks and government regulation, they promote a future-oriented, ethical approach to professional practice.
Desi Vlahos
Desi is a senior lecturer of the Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice at the Australian College of Applied Professions in partnership with the Law Institute of Victoria. She is an Australian Legal Practitioner and experienced practical legal training mentor for emerging practitioners. She is also the CEO and Founder of Wellceum, a workplace consultancy supporting legal and professional services integrate strategy to manage psychosocial risk, improve employee resilience, and create visible social impact. Admitted in 2005, Desi has practiced in mid-tier, suburban and private firms. In 2013, Desi completed a Graduate Diploma of Education with a focus on legal studies and literature. As a certified mental health first aid trainer, Desi is a strong advocate for mental health, the wellbeing of new lawyers and the profession as a whole.
In 2019 she contributed to a book chapter on time perspective in relation to wellbeing and productivity in Lexis Nexis’ ‘Wellness for Law: Making Wellness Core Business.’ Desi is a director of the Minds Count Foundation in Australia and a Commissioner on the IBA Professional Wellbeing Commission at an international level. She holds the seat of APAC liaison for the IBA Academic and Professional Development Committee.
Most notably, Desi was named Australia’s Lawyer’s Weekly Women in Law Wellness Advocate of the Year for 2021 and again in 2022.
Dr. Owen Bradfield
Dr Owen Bradfield is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Medical Indemnity Protection Society. Owen is a dual-qualified medical practitioner and health lawyer, with nearly 20 years’ experience in medical and legal practice, comprising over 10 years’ experience in the medical indemnity insurance industry. He has advised and represented health practitioners in a range of medico-legal disputes, including civil claims, regulatory complaints, employment disputes, Coronial inquests and Medicare investigations. Owen is passionate about advocating for fair regulatory and legal processes for healthcare practitioners and supporting members who are navigating complex medico-legal problems. Owen combines his role at MIPS with health law research at the University of Melbourne, where he examines the intersection between doctors’ health and legal claims. Owen’s research has been internationally recognised and he is a 2020 Fulbright Scholar and winner of the 2022 Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research in the Health Services Research category. Owen is the immediate past Chairperson of Victoria’s Patient Review Panel and a member of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Ethics Committee.
Details
- This is an on-demand webinar you can watch at anytime - a link and password will be sent to you when you register.
- Members will earn 1 CPD point in core area 2
- This event was recorded at The 2024 Intensive Conference, held on Wednesday 13 March and Thursday 14 March
- Cost: $50 members, $70 non-members
Registration
| Member Registration | $50.00(GST incl.) | Register |
| Non-member registration | $70.00(GST incl.) | Register |